Bylaws of the Lone Star
Garden Tractor Pullers Association

Article 1: Name
Lone Star Garden Tractor Pullers Association

Article 2: Purpose
To secure the fellowship, pleasures, and benefits of an association with persons commonly interested in garden tractor pulling, build good character and sportsmanship in youth and provide affordable fun for the whole family.

Article 3: Membership
Membership in this Club will be open to anyone with an interest in garden tractor pulling, providing they have not been suspended from this Club for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Membership in the LSGTPA consists of paying annual membership dues.
Dues shall be established by majority vote of the general membership and are effective Jan 1 to Dec 31.
A "member in good standing" is one, who has paid their annual membership dues, and one who has not been suspended from the Club for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Persons who have not paid their dues may attend regular Club meetings but may not participate in Club competitions, Club sponsored events or Club decision-making matters.
No prorated memberships.
Only members in good standing shall have the privilege of pulling at LSGTPA sponsored pulls and voting at Club meetings.
Single: $30.00 consists of 1 person only.
Family: $50.00 consists of household members living under one roof. University Organizations may use the Family membership.
Sponsor: $250.00 consists of 4 memberships. Members must be listed on a membership form.
Honorary Members: By a majority vote of Club Members, any person who has rendered meritorious service to the Club may be elected as an Honorary Member without dues for any period of up to life.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct:
A Club Member shall be penalized by a majority vote of the Board of Directors for:
1. Behavior that causes or can reasonably be expected to cause physical harm to another person, including but not limited to, harassment, either verbally or physically of another person or group.
2. Abusive, threatening, intimidating or vulgar language and actions in public.
3. Actions in direct and willful violation of club bylaws or other club rules and regulations.
4. Any other conduct that is deemed detrimental to the best interests of the club.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalties:
1. First offense: Written warning.
2. Second offense: Written warning, temporary suspension from voting or participation in any Club related activities for the duration of the next two pulls, said suspension overlapping into the next season if necessary, and forfeiture of pull points if violation occurred at a pull. A member temporarily suspended herein may attend the rules meeting, but will not have voting privileges until their suspension expires.
3. Third offense: Member shall be suspended from the Club indefinitely by majority vote of the Board of Directors, subject to majority vote by Club Members at any meeting where a quorum is present for re-admittance.

Notwithstanding the above, any Club Member who commits abuses which are serious enough in nature to cause the Board of Directors to reasonably determine the act as criminal, illegal, terroristic or life threatening to any person or group, may be suspended immediately and indefinitely by majority vote of the Board of Directors, subject to majority vote of Club Members at any meeting where a quorum is present for re-admittance.

Article 4: Elections
Elections shall be held once a year at the Annual November meeting.

Board Member's Terms of Office: Terms of office shall be staggered and rotating and shall be for two years. Beginning with the 2007 season, Board of Directors will be elected as follows: 2 directors for 1 year terms, and 3 directors for 2 year terms. For following years, as each Board Member(s) term expires, they may continue to serve if they volunteer and are re-elected by majority vote of Club Members. If they do not volunteer or if they fail to be re-elected, nominations/volunteers for this two year term on the Board of Directors will be accepted from the floor at the November meeting immediately prior to member election by majority vote of Club Members. A vacancy of a Board of Director will be filled by member nomination/volunteer and majority vote of Club Members at any meeting where a quorum is present for the remaining vacancy's term.

A President shall be appointed to a one-year term by a majority vote of the Board of Directors and shall be selected from the elected board.

Other Official’s Terms of Office: Nominations/volunteers for Secretary/Treasurer, Committee Chairpersons and Committee Members will be accepted from the floor at the November meeting immediately prior to member election by majority vote. Terms of office shall be for one year. A vacancy of the Secretary/Treasurer or Committee Chairperson will be filled by member nomination/volunteer and majority vote of Club Members any meeting where a quorum is present for the remaining vacancy's term.

Article 5: Management of the Club
Board of Directors: The affairs and business of the Club shall be conducted and managed by a five member, elected Board of Directors. They will also preside over meetings, safety decisions, protests and any unsportsmanlike conduct issues.

President: The President shall have no executive powers and has no other powers except as delegated to him by the Board of Directors. The President cannot act upon any Club business except as directed by the Board of Directors.

Secretary/Treasurer: The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for all correspondence, the accurate recording of all motions, official actions taken at all meetings, and for keeping Club property records and all other important club documents. Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for Club finances. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep and maintain all records of fees, dues and monies collected and disbursed as authorized by the general membership or the Board of Directors. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep up-to-date, accurate, complete, and comprehensive records. He or she shall submit regular financial statements in the form, manner and frequency prescribed by the Board of Directors, prepare an annual financial statement for the annual meeting of the Club and generally perform such duties as are ordinarily incumbent upon a Secretary/Treasurer.

The President and Secretary/Treasurer are under the complete supervision and direction of the Board of Directors. Any action taken by the President and Secretary/Treasurer upon any order of club corporate or other business may only be as supervised and instructed by the Board of Directors. This will include duties such as signing club corporate and other legal documents and performing other club legal and business duties requiring action by club officials.

Committees: Each Committee shall consist of a Committee Chairperson and Committee Members. All Committee Chairpersons are responsible to the Board of Directors. Committee members are responsible to the Committee Chairperson. Each Committee shall perform duties including but not limited to those as described below.

Administration: Responsible for Club and pull administration. Administration Committee shall generally perform such duties as are ordinarily incumbent in the administration of an organization, including but not limited to producing forms for pull administration and scoring, membership lists, sponsorship contacts, newsletters and maintaining Club web site.

Line Up & Scales: Responsible for tractor line up, checking hitch height and scale weight monitoring.

Hooking & Unhooking: Responsible for hooking and unhooking tractors to the sled.

Track Maintenance: Responsible for track layout and marking. Also track maintenance during pull, i.e. grading, raking and maintaining boundary lines.

Scheduling & Track/Grounds Preparation: Responsible for scheduling pulls, working with pull host contact for scheduling pull date, time, location, arranging contract, and getting contact for track building/preparation. Individual Club members will work with pull host on track building and preparation.

Announcing: Responsible for announcing at pull.
Safety Tech: Responsible for tractor safety/tech inspections.
Flagging: Responsible for grounds & track safety and flagging pull attempts.
Sled Operations and Maintenance: Responsible of sled maintenance and sled operations at pull.

Sled Transport: Responsible for sled transportation including providing the secretary with photocopies of current liability insurance and driver’s licenses for all members who pull the club sled/trailer. No person or member will be allowed to pull the clubs sled/trailer without this information being on file with the club secretary.

Rules: Responsible for incorporating rules changes from Club meetings into the Rule book and for producing the Rule book.

At the conclusion of his or her term of office, each Board member, President, Secretary/Treasurer and any Committee Chairperson or Committee member shall turn over to its successor or to the Board of Directors any and all documents, papers, records or other materials, written, digital or otherwise, and any and all funds entrusted to or acquired by him or her in connection with his or her services.

Article 6: Financial
The fiscal year of the LSGTPA shall be from November 1 to October 31.
The LSGTPA shall have an operating budget for each fiscal year developed by the Treasurer and approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. This budget will include, but will not be limited to the following items:

1. Sled transportation at a rate set by Member vote.
2. Office supplies, printing, sled and generator fuel, sled trailer license, water, lime, repair parts, maintenance supplies, materials, etc. These will be budget items whether they be reimbursed to members for expenses incurred on behalf of the Club, (receipts must be provided), or be items paid for by the treasurer or directors from the operating account.
3. Annual insurance premiums.
4. Annual awards banquet costs, including catering, meeting room rent, plaques, awards, and any other expenses.
5. An additional 20% above normal listed budget items to help prevent excessive transfers between funds.

Hook fees and added prize money will be handled out of the operating fund but will not be budgeted items.

Decisions regarding additional expenditures above the approved budget will be decided as follows:

Expenditures up to $300 may be decided by majority vote of the Board of Directors. Expenditures over $300 shall be presented to the Club members for approval by majority vote at any meeting where a quorum is present.

The LSGTPA will operate from three separate and distinct funds:

Level 1: Operating Fund
The Operating Fund will be the fund from which all budgeted expenses and any other purchases will be dispersed. The Treasurer or a majority of the board of directors may disperse from the operating fund on budgeted club expenses and purchases as necessary. This funds initial yearly amount will be equal to the year’s written operating budget. In addition to funding Club budget items, the Operating fund may be used for major club purchases and emergencies. If any additional expenditure will cause the operating fund to fall short of the budget amount, funds may be transferred from the permanent fund. Funds in the Operating fund shall be kept in the Club’s checking account, and all Club payments will be made from the Operating Fund.

Level 2: Permanent Fund
The Permanent Fund will be for all income and/or monies exceeding the amount of the year’s Operating budget. The Permanent Fund shall be used to cover Operating Fund shortages, which may occur in the event of major Club purchases or emergencies that arise. Funds in the Permanent Fund may be dispersed to the Operating Fund by majority vote of the Board of Directors up to $300. Designation of the use and the approval of any transfer amounts exceeding $300 shall require member approval at any meeting where a quorum is present.

Level 3: Endowment Fund
The Endowment Fund is for sums of money endowed upon the Club for its long term strength and benefit. If the endowment use is not specifically designated and if the amount of the endowment is large enough it shall be invested in a long term financial instrument: i.e. interest bearing CD or Money Market fund account. If the amount of the endowment is not large enough for a CD or Money Market account and the endowment use is not specifically designated it shall be placed in an interest or non interest bearing savings account. Interest paid to the Endowment Fund shall be paid to the Club’s Permanent Fund. Funds dispersed from the Endowment Fund will be to the operating fund. Designation of the use and the approval of any such transfer must be approved by the Club membership at any meeting where a quorum is present.

Fund Flow:
At the beginning of each fiscal year, funds will be transferred from the permanent fund into the operating fund to bring the operating fund up to the budget amount. The permanent fund should never be entirely depleted, and at least the amount required by the financial institution shall be left in this fund in order to keep the account open. In the event that the permanent fund does not have sufficient funds to bring the operating fund up to the budget amount, then any income received by the club from that point forward will go into the operating fund until the budget amount is reached. Any Club income after the budget amount is reached will be deposited into the permanent fund.

Article 7: Amendments to Bylaws
These Bylaws may be amended or changed at any meeting where a quorum is present, on a motion by a member in good standing, which is seconded, and then passed by majority vote, by Club Members at any meeting where a quorum is present.

Article 8: Dissolution
Club may be dissolved by a majority vote of Club Members. In the event of cessation of business operation or dissolution, the Board of Directors shall distribute Club assets and archive Club records in compliance with all federal, state and local laws. Upon dissolution of the Club, the Board of Directors shall return all borrowed property and pay all Club debts and expenses out of Club assets. Upon dissolution of the Club, assets remaining after payment of Club debts will be disbursed to other similar tax exempt associations and corporations recognized by the IRS and classified as Chapter 501 corporations, and no asset will inure to the benefit of any person or organization not classified as a non profit charitable, educational, or historical organization in good standing with all governmental regulations.

Definitions
Quorum is defined as members present at any Club meetings prior to a pull or any meeting duly called by the Board of Directors.

Majority vote is defined as vote of a majority of a member quorum at any duly called meeting.
11-10-07